The invention relates to a device for mechanical vehicle seat adjustment, in particular for a motor vehicle or utility vehicle. The device has an actuating handle, which can be adjusted between an idle position and an actuation position such that a seat part of a vehicle seat is locked in its position in the idle position of the actuating handle, and in the actuation position of the actuating handle, can be adjusted in its position.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle seat having such a device as well as to a vehicle having such a vehicle seat.
Such a conventional device for mechanical vehicle seat adjustment is largely known from the state of the art. Such a device may, for example, be provided for adjusting an inclination of a backrest of a vehicle seat constructed as a seat part when the actuation handle is in its actuation position. In the case of this conventional device, this usually takes place by means of a manual rotating motion of the actuation handle from its idle position into its actuation position, in order to be able to release a locking of the backrest and finally adjust the inclination of the backrest. As soon as this setting or adjusting operation of the backrest inclination has been concluded, the actuation handle is usually simply let go or released, so that, by way of a restoring mechanism, the latter can independently, i.e. without any outside influence, rotate back to its idle position for another locking of the backrest.
Since such a rotatable or swivelable actuation handle is usually arranged laterally at the vehicle seat, a user sitting in the vehicle seat, as intended, has to grip the actuating handle laterally at the vehicle seat. In such a case, when changing the gripped actuating handle from its idle position to its actuation position, among other things, the user's wrist is twisted during the actuation process together with the actuating handle. From an ergonomic point of view, the twisting of the wrist when operating the actuating handle is extremely uncomfortable for the user.
It is therefore an object of the invention to further develop the devices known from the state of the art for mechanical vehicle seat adjustment such that handling of the actuating handle will be ergonomically improved.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a device for mechanical vehicle seat adjustment, particularly for a motor vehicle or utility vehicle, having an actuating handle, which can be adjusted between an idle position and an actuation position such that a seat part of a vehicle seat is locked in its position in the idle position of the actuating handle, and in the actuation position of the actuating handle, can be adjusted in its position. The device is equipped such that the actuating handle for adjusting the seat part is be exclusively translationally movably guided between the idle position and the actuation position.
As a result, the handling of the actuating handle is considerably improved ergonomically because the user only has to carry out a linear pulling motion for actuating the actuating handle, and twisting of the user's wrist is considerably reduced because of the linear pulling motion. The exclusively translational motion of the actuating handle further has the advantage that an interaction of the actuating handle with objects situated in the vehicle, for example, a vehicle seat belt, the user's jacket, etc., can at least be reduced, as the actuating handle is moved back into its idle position only translationally and not—corresponding to the state of the art—rotationally. The reason is that a projected surface swept over or passed over by the actuating handle from its actuation position in its idling position, or a corresponding three-dimensional envelope in the case of a pure translation of the actuating handle, is less than in the case of a rotating or pivoting motion of the actuating handle.
Advantageously, the device according to the invention can be further developed such that the actuating handle is designed in such a fashion that, in the frontal view, the actuating handle has an essentially rectangular shape and/or the actuating handle is translationally movably guided in its longitudinal direction.
Furthermore, the device according to the invention can be implemented such that the actuating handle has a handle section and a guidance section adjoining the handle section, the handle section having a shape that is curved at least in parts, preferably with a closed cross-section, and/or the guidance section is coupled with a linear guide, so that the actuating handle is exclusively translationally movably guided between the idle position and the actuation position within the linear guide.
Furthermore, the device according to the invention can be implemented such that the handle section has an eyelet shape, at least in parts, and/or the guiding section is coupled with a conversion mechanism which is equipped for converting a translational motion of the actuating handle to a rotational motion for actuating a locking mechanism, particularly for rotating a locking element of the locking mechanism.
Because of the eyelet shape of the handle section, the actuating handle as such can be easily recognized by the user, so that the user is intuitively caused to operate and test the actuating handle.
Because of the suitable further development of the conversion mechanism as well as of the locking mechanism, specifically as a result of the purely translational guidance of the actuating handle, a width reduction of the conversion mechanism can be achieved with respect to the y-direction of the conventional vehicle coordinate system. It is also advantageous because of the flexible further development capability of the conversion mechanism that the actuating handle can be arranged at a point with respect to the vehicle seat for the translational guidance at which the handle section protrudes in a free-standing manner laterally at the vehicle seat, for example, in an area between a lower seat part forming the seat surface and the backrest.
Furthermore, the device according to the invention can be implemented such that the conversion mechanism is formed by a conversion lever, which is connected with the locking element such that, before the establishment of a force fit with the locking element, the conversion lever can be rotated relative to the locking element, preferably within a play predefined by a form fitting with the locking element, and after the generating of the force fit will be rigidly coupled with the locking element.
The conversion mechanism preferably uses a deflection lever or conversion lever for converting the translational motion of the actuating handle to the rotational motion. The conversion lever may, for example, be connected at one end by way of a guiding or compensating device (for example, with a translational degree of freedom in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the actuating handle), with the actuating handle, so that one end of the conversion lever can follow the translational motion of the actuating handle. In contrast, the other end of the conversion lever is disposed in a rotatable manner and is connected with the locking element for rotating the locking element. The other end of the conversion lever is preferably connected with a locking element designed as an adapter piece such that, before the establishment of a force fit, the other end and the adapter piece can first be rotated relative to one another and be correspondingly aligned, and after the establishment of the force fit, are rigidly connected with one another, so that a rotation of the other end results directly in the rotation of the adapter piece. For example, before the establishment of the force fit, the other end and the adapter piece can be connected with one another while being rotatable relative to one another, in that one or more screws are inserted in one or more oblong holes provided in the adapter piece and corresponding precisely fitting holes provided in the other end, so that the relative rotation between the other end and the adapter piece is limited by a form fit between the respective screws and oblong holes. After a corresponding alignment of the conversion lever, the force fit can finally be established by tightening the screws. This results in an advantageous adjusting possibility of the conversion lever for compensating tolerances, which are caused, for example, by the locking mechanism.
The device according to the invention can further be implemented such that the locking mechanism is designed to release a locking of the seat part for the adjustment of its position when the actuating handle is in its actuation position, and for carrying out a locking of the seat part when the actuating handle is in its idle position.
In addition, the device according to the invention can be further developed such that a restoring device, particularly in the form of a restoring spring, is provided, which is designed for forcing the actuating handle from its actuation position into its idle position. The actuating handle can, for example, be moved against a restoring force of the restoring device, particularly the restoring spring, into the actuation position and, by way of this restoring force, is forced back into the idle position and, in particular, is also moved back when the actuating handle is released, i.e. no manual outside influence acts upon the actuating handle.
Furthermore, the device according to the invention is implemented such that the seat part is a backrest, whose inclination can be adjusted, when the actuating handle is in its actuation position. In contrast, the inclination of the backrest cannot be adjusted in the idle position of the actuating handle; i.e. the backrest is locked. As an alternative, it may also be provided that the seat part is a lower seat part forming a seat surface, the height or inclination of the seat part being adjustable by actuating the actuating handle.
The vehicle seat according to the invention includes the device according to the invention.
The vehicle according to the invention has the vehicle seat according to the invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.